Tag Archives: back pain

If you’re like many of us, you’re absorbed all day….by a screen. Reading, typing, scanning and glancing: these are your primary activities. When your mind is drawn into what is on the screen, you tend to ignore your body.  You’re likely to default to a posture dictated by gravity and spinal mechanics. Unfortunately, both of these things can impact your body in ways that lead to one thing… back pain from spinal misalignment.

 Everyone responds differently to prolonged sessions at a workstation. Contributing factors include, chair support, and previous spinal injuries.  Today, I will focus on seats.

Take a Seat

Piano players sit upright for hours, but you rarely hear about their bad backs. Why? Look what they’re sitting: a firm, flat bench. We can all take a cue from them.

Most office chairs are destructive to spinal health and posture. The biggest culprits being the “high tech” chairs engineered for comfort. The illusion of comfort from soft bucket-style seats is just that, an illusion. You’re supposed to sit on the bones of your pelvis (ischial tuberosities), not sink into the surrounding soft tissue. This throws your spinal support system out of whack.  Moreover, the slope of the chairs typically rounds your lumbar spine—where it should curve inward. The result? Forced slouching…leading to eventual discomfort.

You can’t always be mindful of your posture and the task at hand so it is best to get the proper support that naturally prompts you to sit correctly. At my office we provide firm foam supports that angle the spine, restoring the natural spinal curves we have when standing up. We also show you how to ­­ sit, stand and sleep for optimal spinal health.